Library meeting rooms are available for free to the community, on a first-come, first-served basis, and can be reserved online. Events held in the Auditorium must be open to the public. No fees may be charged to attendees.
Arlington County employees wishing to use the Auditorium for work-related meetings or events should contact LIB-CentralOperations@arlingtonva.us.
Any group, regardless of the affiliations of its members, may use the Barbara M. Donnellan Auditorium, provided that the group complies with the policies detailed below and the Rules Governing the Use of the Library. Failure to abide by any of these policies may result in suspension of meeting room privileges. The Library reserves the right to revise these policies at any time.
Requests to use the Auditorium are not guaranteed. Please submit this application with your preferred dates and await immediate confirmation of your application by email. Please check your spam folder if a confirmation does not arrive. You can expect a response within 3 business days.
Permission to use a meeting room in no way constitutes endorsement by the Arlington Public Library
Allowable Room Usage
- The Auditorium may only be reserved by an adult (18 and older). All group use must be supervised by an adult. Patrons age 14 and older may reserve the Library’s Small Meeting Rooms.
- Auditorium reservation is open to the following types of groups:
- Community Organization: An organization or organization branch whose mission promotes the welfare of the Arlington County community.
- Non-Profit Organization: An organization tax-exempt under Internal Revenue Code Section 501(c)(3) which promotes the welfare of the Arlington County community.
- Local, State, Regional, or Federal Government Agency or Department: Any local, state, regional or federal governmental unit, agency, authority, or department.
- The Auditorium may not be used for commercial interests or electioneering. Except for The Friends of the Arlington Public Library, selling or sales promotions are prohibited.
- The Auditorium may not be used for personal events (e.g., birthday parties, baby showers, etc.).
- To ensure equitable use of the Auditorium, each group’s usage is limited to four (4) uses per calendar year, beginning January 1.
- Reservation limits may not be circumvented by different individuals using their names to register the same group, or by a group using different names.
Making a Reservation
- The Auditorium may only be scheduled for use during regular Library hours and must be cleared by the end of the reservation period. We schedule back-to-back reservations and you must plan to exit the space on time.
- Reservations must be made between 72 hours and 60 days in advance.
- A member of the group making the booking must remain on site for the duration of the reservation. If the person making the reservation will not be on-site for the duration of the event, their on-site designee must be informed of and comply with all applicable policies.
- No-shows (reservations that are not canceled at least 48 hours before the requested start time) will be counted toward the group's reservation limit.
- The Library reserves the right to cancel or reschedule reservations at any time or for any reason. In the event of a Library cancellation, the Library will make every reasonable effort to accommodate an alternate time or space for the canceled reservation.
Room Setup and Technology
- Groups using the Library's meeting rooms are responsible for room setup, including arrangement of tables and chairs. Groups are advised to schedule additional time for room setup into their reservation time. All tables and chairs must be returned to the interior of the Auditorium at the end of a group’s use.
- Refreshments may be served in the Auditorium, provided proper care is given to clean-up after the meeting.
- Groups must leave the Auditorium tidy. Repair or replacement costs due to damage of Library facilities, furnishings and equipment will be charged to the program sponsor. Arlington County will be the sole determiner of who does repair to County property.
- The Library does not provide on-site audiovisual assistance or support. Groups are welcome to schedule a time to test the Auditorium’s AV equipment. Requests to schedule such an appointment must be made seven (7) days or more in advance of the reservation and are subject to the availability of the Auditorium and Library staff.
- The Auditorium is equipped with the following amenities:
- 6-foot folding tables
- Chairs
- Stage
- Podium with microphone
- Projector and screen
- HDMI and VGA hookups
- Users of Apple laptops must bring their own HDMI or VGA adaptor for visual presentations.
- The Library does not assume responsibility for any private property brought into the Library.
Parking and Facilities
- Parking passes are required for vehicles parked at the Library for more than two hours. Parking passes are available at any service desk during open hours.
- The Library does not guarantee parking for large groups.
- Groups are recommended to park in the G2 or G3 levels of the Library’s parking garage (entry from N. Quincy St.)
- The garage gate lowers automatically when the Library closes. Cars left in the garage after closing may be locked in overnight.
- The Auditorium HVAC is controlled off-site and cannot be quickly adjusted. If your group expects many meeting attendees, please let Library staff know at least 7 days in advance to ensure temperatures can be lowered in advance of the meeting.
Publicity
- Publicity materials in any format may not list Library contact information (email or telephone) or use the Library logo.
- If publicity includes the Library's name or address, the materials must include the language, “This event is not sponsored by Arlington Public Library.”
- The name, address and/or contact information of Arlington Public Library facilities may not be used as the official address of any group.
If there are any questions or concerns regarding Auditorium use, reservations, policies, or parking passes contact LIB-CentralOperations@arlingtonva.us.